The BEST Episode of The Series - HOTD Season 2 Episode 2 Review

[@natansoto3673]

This episode definitely reminded me of early GOT, great pacing and each scene was captivating to where I didn't want the episode to end.

[@manvirshergill1739]

Did you find the scene with Addam and Alyn captivating aswell as the scene with Hugh Hammer and his family or Rhaenys and Corlys in bed aswell? 🤣

[@PeaceEpieces]

It reminded me of the way GoT season 8 was done to me tbh, felt very dull, forced, and predictable

[@Chess8548]

Do you think the fight between the twins is symbolic of the Dance of Dragons? A war that nobody really wins?

[@thegodemperorspancreas7884]

Yes

[@manvirshergill1739]

How would D Charles know... you should be asking Ryan Condal or GRRM.

[@christinestevenson4304]

Yes it does! Like rhaenys says there's nothing more hateful than a war beween kin! Even going back to got! What happened tp robb after he killed lord karstark! Then everything that happened because cersei wanted to go after tyrion.. There's so many instances of it in all the books!

[@Chess8548]

@@manvirshergill1739 Was wondering what other show watchers and book readers thought.

[@luisa.acevedo3326]

Well, Aegon and Rhaenyra are half siblings. This is a fraticidal war. All Viserys children die on this war.

[@Tipat_]

I too liked that the show showed us the relationship of Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys...

[@MotherofMunch]

They said nothing😭

[@Jamiiemac]

@@MotherofMunchthey showed so much. That is exactly what makes a good show, where they don’t need forced dialogue or narration to explain. The close up camera, as well as the setting. Allowed us to look into their relationship, and understand them so much more. Very impressive considering it was like a 30 sec scene, with only a couple of lines if dialogue

[@michaelbuick6995]

I've softened a little on how Blood and Cheese were done in the show. At first I hated it, then Condal came out with some nonsense about the legalities of working with child actors, as if they couldn't do a little movie magic to shoot the scene as is without having to traumatise real kids. But then someone just came out and said "look if we did it as it appears in the book, half the viewers would switch off permanently". That I can appreciate. Maybe book Blood and Cheese is just a bit too sadistic to put on TV without alienating a good chunk of your viewership.

[@Swaelo]

The screams of Stannis daughter still haunt me, they never stopped anyone from watching though

[@markmywords3817]

Even a monster like Aegon calls for not having to parade the kid like a dog. So it was understable why it was not shown. If you have good sound system or even just headphones while watching the episode, the sound effects was enough to make you imagine how brutal it was. You know the knife used wasn't valyrian steel and was used for maybe rats as well. What took me out of the experience was how straight & clean the neck cut (makeup) was during the funeral procession. A little makeup could've easily made it a little less than perfect. I didn't double check though because I couldn't look at it for long. 🫣

[@GINGI9519]

Saw it 5 times throughout the week, PHENOMENAL

[@EstherDavis-eg2iv]

I definitely think you're right that the Emmy needy to be called but I believe that it should be for Emma for when she did a whole show and only said one line. I felt like I heard her say so many words, it took 3 days for me to figure out that she only had one line!!! Because I heard her speak with every tear, I heard her say how much pain she was in in every scene in the entire show... I heard her!! (Not to be disrespectful and use improper pronouns, please replace "she" with "they/them") ♥️

[@christinestevenson4304]

I love how they did that! They did the same thing in an episode of vikingsmwhen ragnar said nothing until the end when he buried his friend! Those are such powerful scenes because they chose to do it that way!

[@EstherDavis-eg2iv]

@@christinestevenson4304 oh that particular scene is WHY Viking is on my must see list!!! Ragnar's love for his lost friend was so emotional and almost as deep as his love for lagatha!! I felt it in my heart 💔

[@DCharles]

Emma has been fantastic so far!

[@avrylkemp]

Aegon's acting was brilliant..

[@louisesedwards3645]

If Rhys Ifans doesn't get an EMMY there is no justice In the world!

[@DCharles]

Agreed

[@crazyirish209]

i thought it was just me but ottos performance in this episode just hit hard

[@DCharles]

Absolutely!

[@rodneyc8126]

I really wish Otto would've taken some of that anger out on Cole to remind him he comes from nothing. That smug look is really annoying.

[@jbug1979]

but might be best to not start a grudge w/the new hand

[@beezyqueen]

also i think the man at the beginning of the hanged ratcatcher scene is actually ulf! (doesn’t take away from ur small folk point but fun easter egg for book readers) i rly like how they’re trickling in the introduction of the new characters, it feels refreshingly fleshed out and slowed down

[@Jamiiemac]

I’ve not read the book, but I am aware of certain things that happened. And yeah, I noticed that too. Even without knowing what’s coming I could pick up on the focus and could tell they just want to show them as kings landing small folk for now

[@ToeKnife166]

otto hightower is master tactician

[@altdoom5205]

Yours is the best analysis of this episode by far on KZbin. Great work, Sir!

[@DCharles]

That’s very kind. Thank you for the compliment

[@PistachioDean]

I really appreciate that they take the time to show the affects their actions have on the lives of the small folk. They hardly did this in GoT (especially later seasons). Cersei blowing up the Sept, the place of worship for many people, and the symbol of their gods, should have had a huge impact on the people of not only Kings Landing but all throughout Westeros. So I'm glad they focused on the small folk more.

[@cnmcnm5853]

New sub here! Excellent analysis! For me Fabien Frankel has worked with the material he's been given and performed exceptionally. We loved him in the first season until episode 4, and then everyone hated him deeply. His gaze is haunting. It's super sad to see people harassing Fabien Frankel on Insta, he turns off the comments and he makes so an Amazing job. I hope the sane fans show him some love he deserves.

[@DCharles]

The real life threats are insane. However, I think it speaks to his performance. People can say they hate the AliCole dynamic, but I’m very intrigued to see where they take it.

[@cnmcnm5853]

​@@DCharles Yes, exactly! I love the chemistry between Fabien and Olivia. I think fans would appreciate it more if the series delved a bit deeper into their relationship, as it sometimes feels rushed. The hatred for the characters prevents them from seeing the deep and interesting dynamic there. Anyway, I'm happy to have found your channel.

[@Moeller750]

This episode was pure character. And I LOVED it. Haelena is such and interesting character and her actress just delivers those moments with perfection. Rhyneara and Demon's fight felt like a scene from a Shakespearean play. And Otto Hightower's strong man surface cracking and coming apart at the seems is so well made

[@DCharles]

Ditto

[@hashck]

awesome commentary! id just like to ask what the piano track in the background is, its so good

[@DCharles]

I’m afraid that’s confidential… 🤫

[@mirarstudios]

It was ok. Hightowers hissyfit with the idiot king was just melodramatic for me, I'm not sure Hightower would endanger his position over some ratcatchers

[@kaymac7849]

There is one aspect with the greens, that is really subtlely shown. Alicent and Otto have never really underwood what blood of the dragon really means and what the consequences of this bloodline is. Viserys has a line in season one, where he says that Daemon and Rhaenyra are sometimes driven by the blood of the dragon and acting by the urges this bloodline can create. The show does a really good but very subtle job, by showing this in the Actions and Reactions of the Targaryen Characters. And the non understanding from the Hightowers what it means.

[@RetroRob420]

It was a good episode. Not great. I did not like the whole twin brothers story. Couldn't have cared any less about the fates of either brother. Glad they've been written off at least.

[@lenaanderson2295]

❤ Yes. YEs. YES! Rhys deserves every accolade! Pure magnificence in every role he takes on.

[@DCharles]

I agree.

[@AlesMicik]

I didn't think they will ever top the Last Supper episode last season but they fucking did. This was the peak.

[@DCharles]

That’s the one I won’t argue with people on, but Rhaenrya The Cruel, I think, offered us much more.

[@mandyahmed4713]

People need to stop Gaslighting the first 4 season of game of thrones not every episode in those seasons were masterclass

[@natansoto3673]

Seasons 1-4 are a masterpiece. Had the show kept that same pacing, Game of Thrones would've been the best show ever made. It's that good. I can't think of but a couple times where it dragged on because the pacing was just so good. Then season 5 took Jaime and Bron to Dorne where we as viewers were introduced to fast travel and the show was lesser for it from that point on. Js, we didn't have bad dialog like bad poosey in the first 4 seasons. This episode of House of Dragon took me back to the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones when it was consistently the most enthralling tv.

[@yvngzuvy]

🔥🔥 Season 2 going strong

[@beezyqueen]

i kind of love how unified everyone is against mysaria’s atrocious s1 accent 😭 team black? team green? whatever- more like, team wtf accent is that???? i still find her acting to be the weakest link in the cast, unfortunately, but i agree that the toning down has been a massive relief.

[@commentsforthealgorithm]

Yeah that weird Jamaican-esque accent was horrendous. Her toned down accent this season is 1000 times better

[@commentsforthealgorithm]

I thought the episode was fan-fucking-tastic. I am shocked that I have been seeing comments and videos around that people are saying both episodes have been boring.

[@Foreign__King__]

Chefs kiss

[@yoinky]

I dont think a single character had a positive interaction with any other character in the episode

[@brendastevenson8521]

So far for me HOTD season 1 ep 8 is the best .

[@DCharles]

That’s the one I imagine most would debate about

[@michaelalan6459]

Otto is, by far, the best character.

[@DCharles]

Oh he definitely earned some fans!

[@cl5470]

HotD is a better show with better acting. GoT had too many characters for any of them to be developed enough. Constant plot twists are fun, but they are not high art. HotD has more care and love in the writing and depth. Thwre is a reason George can't seem to finish ASoIaF. It isn't a tight story and he wrote himself into a dead end. Blood and Fire is a better story.

[@DCharles]

It’s an account of events, but hardly fleshed out in comparison to ASOIAF. I can’t agree with this statement, but that’s okay.

[@davidmontoute2074]

The characters of GoT are vastly superior to those of HotD. There's simply no comparison. Not a single character in HotD is remotely as memorable as, say, Littlefinger, Arya or the Hound.

[@joehova7168]

Great acting but supporting actor is going Shogun

[@dlamini77]

It was okay. Wasn't great.

[@DCharles]

What did you dislike or is there something people applauded that you disagree with?

[@Velcrue]

Biased

[@MotherofMunch]

If you love telenovelas it is

[@mohammedabdullatif6001]

Wow.. to me this was the worst episode out of all of the GoT series

[@ginjamutha]

Worse than anything in the later series of GoT???? Seriously? I guess that’s what being human is, we all see things very differently. What made it worse than The Long Night or the final episode of GoT? I’m genuinely curious.

[@bobydean1839]

How, why?

[@clashcitycretin10]

I don't think you LIKE G.O.T. if that's what you actually think

[@codybauer4343]

Me when I bait

[@DCharles]

That’s quite the dissenting opinion

[@15clank]

It’s been two episodes . How can you even compare these episodes to others? Also no this series sucks compared to the original got

[@DCharles]

There’s 12 episodes I’m comparing. I’m sorry you’re not enjoying the show. I hope you find something that better meets your tastes

[@andrewjohnston9115]

The idea that anyone in the Red Keep gave two figs for what the people of Kings Landing thought isn't how the Westeros world works. Public opinion simply didn't exist, the only people who mattered, who had power, were the aristocracy so a funeral procession through Kings Landing to change the opinion of people who's opinion didn't matter and had no way of influencing events was pointless and incongruous.

[@aaroncohen2700]

That’s wrong. The opinion of the small folk does matter. Just take a look at the main series and the riot that the food shortages the Tyrell’s orchestrated threw the city into chaos. If the small folk aren’t content then the nobles have to spend time, men, and money holding them in line instead of directing their resources at their enemies. We’ll get another example of the strength of the small folk when riled up later in this series.

[@trainsurfer7593]

Respectfully, I don't think you quite understand the concept of propaganda. Of course the ruling class don't actually care about the people or wish to empower them, they only seek to influence the way they think in order to further their own ends. Public opinion does matter in Westeros, the showrunners are making it very obvious by the frequent mentions and references to the smallfolk.

[@natansoto3673]

The people are an influence that only the smartest of minds consider harnessing. I may not like Otto but he had a point, even if it wasn't classy, it was smart.

[@cl5470]

Oof. Tell me you are missing the entire point of this story without telling me. You know this story ends with the Small Folk killing all the dragons, right.

[@quinnjackson731]

​@aaroncohen2700 Couldn't have said it better myself 💯. It makes Cersei blowing up the Sept with impunity pretty ridiculous

[@JabroneyDirt]

This entire series is at the same level of game of thrones. Book Fans need to check themselves in realizing that not only is the book material on this story scarce, it is literally written as word of mouth and not to be taken as it happened exactly. I hope the show continues to ignore the whining of book readers because whether you like it or not, this show has gone far past being something for fans of the books.

[@commentsforthealgorithm]

It can be assumed that the writing of the history is also from the point of view of a Maester so the show can flesh out the characters as they like. There is room for that.